Maharashtra Opposition Alliance Shows Cracks as 23 MLAs Skip Strategy Meeting

Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the opposition alliance in Maharashtra, faced another challenge this week when 23 of its 60 MLAs did not attend a strategy meeting on Wednesday evening. Among the absentees were senior leaders Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Jayant Patil, both said to be unavailable due to personal reasons. Congress leaders Nana Patole and Vijay Wadettiwar were also not present; Wadettiwar's office cited ill health.

The meeting came days after six MPs from the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction joined the rival group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. This is the second major split in the Thackeray-led party in four years, following a larger rebellion in June 2022 that led to Shinde becoming chief minister with BJP support.

Speaking after the meeting, Uddhav Thackeray questioned the alliance's cohesion. “Are we truly together? Are we united as the Maha Vikas Aghadi in the House? Do we raise issues together?” he said. He urged his leaders to focus on those who remain loyal and to hold joint meetings and rallies to project unity. “Those who have left... let them go,” he added.

The meeting was originally planned to discuss strategy for the monsoon session of the state legislature, which began three days ago. The issue of the six rebel MPs was reportedly not discussed, according to sources.

The MVA was formed in November 2019 after the Shiv Sena broke its long-standing alliance with the BJP over sharing the chief minister's post. The Sena, which had won 56 seats in the assembly election, joined hands with the Congress (44 seats) and the NCP (54 seats) to form a coalition government. Critics have pointed to the ideological differences between the parties—the Congress and NCP are secular, while the Shiv Sena espouses Hindutva—calling the alliance opportunistic.

Coalition politics is not uncommon in India. In April 2024, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP acknowledged, “We have to live with this reality—that of coalition politics.” However, the MVA has faced repeated questions about its stability, particularly after the first major revolt in June 2022 when Shinde led a split in the Sena, taking a majority of MLAs with him. A similar split occurred in the NCP in July 2023, when Ajit Pawar led a faction to join the Shinde government.

Observers note that while the MVA has survived seven years and three major elections, the recent developments may further test its durability. As of now, there are no reports of another imminent rebellion, but the alliance's internal challenges remain evident.